Let It Be
by JadeDjo
Summary: Valka had lived around amputees for the first half of her life. She should have noticed. She even knew how hard Hiccup been pushing himself and how little sleep he was getting. She should have noticed. But most of all she was his mother. She should have noticed. Hiccup is trying to prove himself capable of taking care of the village but who takes care of him?


She had lived around amputees for the first half of her life. She should have noticed. She even knew how hard he'd been pushing himself and how little sleep he was getting. She should have noticed. But most of all she was his mother. She should have noticed.

But he was just so stubborn!

"Hiccup, you can't expect dragons to abide by a schedule," Valka tried to reason with her son. "You have to give them time…,"

"We don't have time," interrupted Hiccup as they walked rapidly through the ruined village. "Half of Berk is still without homes and winter will be here before we know it."

"But the dragons," she tried again. Why wouldn't he just listen? She had seen him had been walking quickly through the village stopping here and there to direct the work or praise the workers. She wasn't sure were Toothless was but if the Night Fury wasn't with him then it meant he was busy keeping some of the new dragons in line. When she had spotted him, she had quickly caught up, so sure that he would understand.

She'd guessed wrong. "No 'buts' Mom. If the humans don't get a break then neither do the dragons."

"They aren't beasts of burden, to command and do our bidding," she argued hotly, truly not understanding why he didn't instantly agree with her. They were usually in agreement when it came to dragons and even though she'd had 20 years of experience with them he had surprised her with his depth of knowledge about them.

"Mom," he said, and she could hear his tone becoming aggravated. "I know, alright? But I have more than just the dragons to think about. Dad…, Dad and I agreed 5 years ago that if dragons were going to stay on Berk then they needed to contribute like any other member of the village," They and to dodge around a huge log being lifted into place by 2 nightmares and 3 gronkles before he could finish his sentence. "I'm not asking any more of them then I'd ask of any other member of the village."

Everything he said was true, but that didn't mean she thought he was right. They were nearing the forge, his evident destination when she finally noticed his limp. Valka hated to admit that she would forget that he was missing a third of his left leg for long stretches of time. He was normally so effortless in his daily activities that she wouldn't even think about his disability.

Yet as he was about to enter the forge she could tell he was favoring his left leg and trying not to show it. Once he was safely within the confines of the building and out of sight of the village he gave up the act entirely, hobbling over to Gobber to ask about some piece for the water wheel.

She could see him absently rubbing his thigh, looking for relief. She even saw Gobber's eyes flick down, noticing his former apprentices' actions, but curiously said nothing. Even as they finished their dissection and Hiccup limped over to Gustav as the boy hammered out nail after nail.

Nobody said anything. He was in pain, and if the others wouldn't speak up then she would. "My dear, why don't you...,"

"I'm fine," he cut her off with a cutting motion of his left hand.

"But you," she tried to insist.

"I said, I'm fine," he told her, not even turning in her direction and picking where he'd left off with his apprentice and keeping as much weight off his left leg as possible.

Yes, stubborn. Just like his father.

Valka wondered back to Gobber, trying not to hover over her son's obvious pain and asked, "Why did you say nothing? You saw how much he's in pain. I'm sure he would listen to you if you suggested he sit down."

"Not likely," he drawled. "That lad's always had a penchant for doing the exact opposite of what he's told. Probably even less so now."

"But surely if you…," she tried again.

"Listen Val, he's never been one to show weakness, and now that he's the Chief…, he feels he has a very large, very sturdy, shadow to fill if you get my meaning."

"No one expects him to be Stoick," she scoffed.

"I know that and you know that even the village knows that, but… I think he's still trying to make up for the time when the village did not think highly of him. I believe that he believes he still has something to prove."

She desperately wanted to ask him what he meant. To find out once and for all why no one seemed to talk about her son before he befriended a dragon and changed their world. But Hiccup was just about to leave when he suddenly grunted and fell to his knees.

The three of them rushed to his side, "Hiccup?! Are you alright? What happened?" Valka asked her voice full of concern as she grabbed his shoulders.

He ignored her and she tried not to take offense when he ground out between clenched teeth, "Go get Astrid Gobber. Now."

"Right. Gustav, quick get Astrid. She should be down by the docks. You know what to do."

"Yes sir," the boy said and ran to his dozing dragon lying in a patch of sun just outside the door. "Fang, to the docks." And he was gone as the Monstrous Nightmare woke instantly and launched himself into the air.

"Please, Hiccup. Let me help. What can I do?" she pleaded, wanting to comfort him in some way.

"Backroom," he panted. "Help me to the backroom."

"Of course. Anything," she said, thankful to finally be of use and moved to his left and wrapped his arm around her neck. He was surprisingly heavy for such a lithe frame. Gobber moved to Hiccup's right. Together they maneuvered him around the forge and into a room in the back of the shop hidden behind a curtain.

They laid him out on the ground near a workbench strewn with parchments. As soon as he was down Hiccup began clawing at his leg attachment. It pained her to stand back and watch, but she feared she would only be in the way trying to figure out how to remove the complicated device. Before he had even undone half the straps a blond blur rushed past and Astrid's confident and sure hands replaced his and the prosthesis was soon discarded.

Once the false leg was gone, Astrid got up and moved to the shelf next to the work table. It was full of notebooks, architectural drawings, anatomical drawings of dragons, and small gadgets. Off the top shelf, she grabbed two jars and called out, "Gobber? Do you have the hot water?" So focused on her betrothed she didn't even notice Valka's presence.

"Right here lass," Goober said and he placed a cup and a deep bowl of steaming water in her hands. He turned to leave but caught Valka's eye, giving her a long undecipherable look before shrugging and leaving through the door, closing the curtain behind him.

Valka was now enclosed within the small room with the son she'd only been reunited with two months ago and his future wife. The close confines of the room made it much more intimate and Valka knew she should leave them alone but even though she found herself near the door, she was rooted to the spot. Watching like a voyeur as the young woman took care of her love.

After Astrid had removed his false leg Hiccup grunted, finding some relief and Astrid put down the bowel next to Hiccup's leg and the cup on the worktable and rolled up his trouser cuff. Valka only had a moment as she glimpsed the abrupt end to her son's leg before Astrid placed it into the bowl. The skin along the bottom was red and raw from being in the prosthesis so long and the skin above had the rippled look of burn scars, healed white and pink with time.

While she looked, her heart constricted in her chest as Astrid grabbed the cup of water and sprinkled some herbs from one of the jars to it. After a considering look at Hiccup, she also added a pinch from the other and set the cup aside to steep before quickly stripping off her arm wrappings and easing her hands into the bowl.

All the while Hiccup had laid still and tense, fists over his eyes and breaths pained and shallow. "Babe, tell me about the water wheel. How's it coming?" Astrid asked as water slushed in the bow and Valka belatedly realized the young woman was massaging his stump within the water.

Hiccup's only response was to give a distressed moan and push his fists hard into his eyes. Astrid left his side for a moment and brought the cup back, cradling his head as he drank. He wrinkled his nose at the smell, and possibly taste but drank it down.

"Hiccup," Astrid said, trying to get his attention.

"What?!" he bit out but the woman ignored his terse attitude.

"The water wheel?" she said gently.

He was silent so long Valka thought he wouldn't answer. Wouldn't let Astrid distract him from his pain. But Astrid waited patiently and after a few deep breaths he started speaking. Truth be told, Valka didn't understand half of what he said. Astrid seemed to know though and kept asking him questions and encouraging him to elaborate. Something about some such piece working better with the fire prevention system they'd installed last year. Whatever it was, she could tell it was both Astrid's ministrations and distraction that were working as his shoulders relaxed and his hands began gesturing as he talked.

At this point, Valka felt like she'd pushed her luck intruding on this intimate scene. Backing towards the door she pushed aside the curtain to stand behind it.

Had Stoick done this for him in those first days, months, and years of his injury? Who had sat with him right after it happened? Who had been there to comfort him in dealing with his loss? It didn't even matter who it was, whether it was Stoick, or Gobber, or Astrid because there was only one person who should have been there. His mother.

She had been so sure he would grow up to be just like Stoick. A dragon killer. So certain she had stayed away. And he was just like his father, in all the ways that mattered.

A hand squeezed her shoulder and she suddenly becomes aware of the tears on her cheeks. "The past is the past, Val," Gobber said softly. "The only thing you can do is learn from it and move on."

"But," she wanted to argue. To scream at him that she had left her baby and now he was a man. So many years she'd been a fool and now it was too late. He was soon to be married and would have a wife to take care of him and children of his own.

"He's forgiven you. Accept it and learn from it. Forgive yourself."

"He doesn't need me," she whispered. More to herself then the blacksmith.

"Trust me when I say he needs you now."

"He has Astrid."

"Who is usually a good one to call him out and keep him grounded. But the lad was so afraid of becoming chief that now that he is in charge he's thrown himself at the job with no regard for his own wellbeing. The only thing he seems to remember from Stoick's teaching are a chief protects his own and the first duty of a chief is to his people. And the lass is having a hard time keeping up with him and keeping them both going. There's more to the job than either of them realized. Someone needs to take care of them both." He gave Valka a meaningful look before returning to the main area of the forge.

Perhaps that was her purpose. Why the gods had reunited her with her lost son. She left the blacksmith shop and moved toward the nearest cliff overlooking the bay. This prosperous village had and would again, flourish under Hiccup's leadership. But if he felt he had to prove himself to his people, Valka would make sure he knew he didn't need to. As for her soon to be daughter-in-law, Valka would make sure the young woman new all the duties expected of her.

Hiccup and Astrid would care for the village and Valka would care for them both.


End file.
